Fire stop for apparatus racks



Feb. `13, 1940. R. B. RAMsEY FIRE STOP FOR APPARATUS RACKS Filed Aug. 20, 1938 l o @ECDEEEECDCD /NVE NTOR By RB. ,QA/usar @6. M

ATToR/s/Ey Patented Feb. 13, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,189,993 y FIRE sroP Foa APPARATUS RAcKs Application August 20,

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a relay or apparatus rack and more particularly to a re stop for reducing the possibility of the communication of fire from one section of the rack to another.

It is customary in communication systems to provide racks having horizontally disposed mounting plates thereon on which relays or other apparatus are mounted. To protectsuch relays or other apparatus from dust, covers are provided which are attached to the mounting plates or to the racks on the apparatus side thereof. It has been found that with the covers thus installed vertical air shafts are formed through which any fire which may originate in or near the lower portion oi the racks may be communicated to the wiring and apparatus on the upper portion of the racks. It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a rire stop of re resisting material which may be easily installed on a relay rack to close the vertical channels thereof and to thereby protect the Wiring from damage incident to iire.

To attain this object, a panel of fibre or other lire resistingmaterial, is provided for insertion between adjacent mounting plates of the relay rack and so shaped as to fill the entire space between the upright channels of the rack and the relay covers. The panel is of suilicient width to extend forwardly from the rack beyond the conductors of the cables which are fanned out horizontally for connection to the relay terminals and is cut away at its front corners to provide clearance for the vertical runs of the cables. To enable the panel to be installed after the relays have been assembled on the rack and wired tothe cables, it is constructed in two end sections, the outer ends of which are shaped to t the contours of the inside of the vertical channels of the rack rand provided with spring clips for engage- 40 ment with flanges of the channels. The two sections when in place with respect to the vertical channels are joined at their adjacent inner ends b-y a third or splicing section formed as a channel member which may be slipped inwardly towards the back of the rack over the inner ends of the two end sections. p

For a more complete understanding of the invention reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a section of the wiring side of the relay rack with a re stop panel constructed in accordance with the invention installed thereon;

Fig.`2 shows a cross-sectional View of the rack 55. taken along section lineV 2'2 of Fig. 1;

1938, Serial No. 225,910 (Cl. 179-91) Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the center or splicing section of the panel taken along section line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. fi is a perspective view of one of the clips by which each end section of the panel is secured to a flange of a rack channel.

The relay rack is of the Well-known type comprising upright channel members I and 2 of structural steel connected together at their top and bottom ends by cross frame members (not shown). The channels are disposed with their flanges inturned. Secured to the front anges 3 and 4 of the channel members by screws 5, are a plurality of horizontally disposed mounting plates 6. Each plate is provided with holes 1 through which screws 8 may be inserted for securing relays or other apparatus to the inside of the plate and with slots 9 through which the soldering terminals of the relays or other apparatus may extend to the wiring side of the rack.

Suitably supported from each channel on the wiring side of the rack is a group of cables eX- tending vertically from the top to the bottom of the rack as designated bythe numerals I0 and I I. The conductors of these cables are fanned out 5 horizontally and connected to the terminal lugs of the relays mounted on the mounting plates as indicated by the numerals I2 and I3. 'I'hus when the rack is equipped with relays secured to the mounting plates and the wiring is completed thereto there will be vertical runs of the cable conductors adjacent to each channel member I and 2 and a horizontal run of the cable conductors along the wiring side of each mounting plate 6. Dust covers (not shown) are po- 3. sitioned over the relays on the other side of the mounting plates.

With the dust covers in place it will be apparent that vertical air shafts are formed between the ends of adjacent covers and between the outside ends of certain of the covers and the inside of channel members I and 2 through which rising currents of air may pass from the bottom towards the top of the rack. Should a iire occur in or near the relays mounted on a lower portion of the rack, it would be transmitted through these air shafts thereby endangering relays mounted on the upper portionsof the rack. To eliminate this fire hazard, and to coniine any nre to as small a portion of the rack as possible, fire stops in ac- 50 cordance with the present invention have been developed for effectively closing the vertical air shafts at several points between the top and bottom of the rack.

Each re stop I4 is arranged for insertion be- 55 tween two adjacent mounting plates and comprises a panel of libre or other fire resisting material made in three sections for enabling its installation after the rack has been equipped and wired. rlhe two end sections l5 and I6 oi the nre stop panel are oi similar shape, each having Vits outer end cut as indicated at Il to fit the inner contour of one o the channel members l or il and notched as indicated at i8 to lit over he .front ange 3 or li or one of the channel members. The sections are of sufcient Width to extend from the rear iianges of the channel members forwardly beyond the horizontal runsr ci the cable conductors. The outer corners of the end sections are out away as indicated at I9 to abut as closely as possible against the vertical groups of cables il! and ll when the outer ends of the sections are in engagement with the inner surfaces of the channels to reduce the air strips are assembled as disclosed in Fig. 3 to form a double channel member, the several strips being held in assembled position by rivets 24 eX- tending therethrough. The centralstrip 2l of the sections is oi slightly less width than the gap between the adjacent ends of the end sections i5 and it.

To install the lire stop the two end sections l5 and it are' placed in position as previously described and then the central section 2l) is slid back over the adjacent ends of the end sections with their edges embraced between the edges oi the spring strips 22 into the position disclosed in Fig, 2. The spring strips thus gripthe ends of the end sections and hold the three sections securely in their assembled position.

To keep the nre stopfrom slipping downwardly on the channel members l and 2 the outer end of each end `section is provided with a pair of spring clips 25, one of which is shown in detail in Fig, 4. Each clip is substantially U-shaped, its two arms 2d and 2l serving to embrace al iiange of a channel member as disclosed in Fig. 2 and the base of the U being extended and bent at right angles to form a support 28 by means of which the clip may be secured to an end section l5 or it of the nre stop panel. As disclosed in Fig. l two clips 25 are assembled one on each face of an end section and secured thereto by rivets'd which extend through holes 30 in the support portions 28 of both clips and through holes in the end sections.

What is claimed is:

l, An apparatus rack comprising vertical standards, horizontally disposed mounting plates securedL thereto, rows of apparatus mounted on one face-of said plates, with their terminals extending therethrough horizontally positioned cables oi wires on the other face of saidplates connected to the terminals of said rows of apparatus, and a panel of fire resisting material interposed between adjacent mounting plates iilling the entire space between said standards and ex.- tending outwardly beyond the cables on the wiring side of saidrack. l

2. An apparatus racl;A comprising lvertical standards, horizontally disposed mounting plates secured thereto, rows of apparatus mounted on said plates, vertically disposed cables secured to said standards fanned out horizontally to the rows of apparatus and a panel of fire resisting material interposed between adjacent mounting plates lling the entire space between said standards and extending outwardly beyond the horizontally farmed-out portions of said cables, said panel being cut away at its outside corners to t closely against said vertical cables.

3. Anr apparatus rack comprising vertical channel members, horizontally disposed mounting plates secured thereto, rows of apparatus mounted on said plates, vertically disposed cables secured to said members ianned out horizontally l to the rows of apparatus, a panel of fire resisting material interposedbetween adjacent mounting plates having its outer ends shaped to nt the inner contours of said channel membersv and to f :dt closely against said vertical cables, said panel extending outwardly beyond the horizontal fanned-out portions of said cables and spring clips secured to the ends or" said panel and embracing iianges of said channel members to hold said panel in position.

4. An apparatus rack comprising vertical channel members, horizontally disposed mounting plates secured thereto, rows of apparatus mounted on said plates, vertically disposed cables secured to said members tanned out horizontally to the rows of apparatus, a panel of re resisting material interposed between adjacent mounting plates having its outer ends shaped to i'lt the inner contours oi said channel members and to nt closely against said vertical cables, said panel extending outwardly beyond the horizontally tanned-out portions oi' said cables and a pair of U-shaped spring clips secured respectively to opposite faces of each end of said panel and embracing i'langes of said kchannel members to hold said panel in position.

5. An apparatus rack comprising vertical channel members, horizontally disposed mounting plates secured thereto, rows of apparatus mounted on said plates, vertically disposed runs of cables secured tosaid members tanned out horizontally to the rows of apparatus, and a panel Aoi re resisting material interposed between adjacent mounting plates and extending out# wardly beyond the horizontally tanned-out portions of said cables, said panel comprising two similar end sections each formed at its outer end to lit against the inside of one ol said channel members and against one o said Vertical runs oi cables, and a central splicing section channeled to embrace the inner adjacent ends of 4said. end sections whereby said panel may be readily assembled into such a position as to completely ll the space between said channel members andl between said vertical cable runs.

6. An apparatus rack comprising vertical channel members, horizontally disposed mounting plates` secured thereto, rows oi' apparatus mounted on said plates, vertically disposedruns of cables secured to ysaid members tanned out horizontally to the rows of apparatus and a panel of lire resisting material interposed between adjacent mounting plates and extending outwardly beyond the horizontally tanned-out portions of said cables, said panel comprising two similar end sections each formed at its outer end to fit against the inside of one of said channel members and against one of said verticalrunsof cables, and a central splicing section having a whereby said panel maybe readily assembled into central spacing strip anked on either face with such a position as to completely fill the space bea strip of spring material and an outer strip of tween said channel members and between said fire resisting material of greater Width than said yvertical cable runs.

spacing strip to form two channels for embracing RAYMOND B. RAMSEY. 6 the inner adjacent ends of said end sections 

